Securing clip for wall panels



' Dec. 11, 1951 J. J. DUGAS 2,577,881

SECURING CLIP FOR WALL PANELS Filed Sept. 18. 1947 Z r L f F/f v INVENTOR. JOSEPH J. DUGAS 4/TlI/VEKS Patented Dec. 11, 1951 SECURING CLIP FOR WALL PANELS Joseph J. Dugas, New Orleans, La., assignor to Higgins Industries, Inc., a corporation of Louisiana (in liquidation) Application September 18, 1947, Serial No. 774,845

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a securing clip, particularly adapted for temporarily holding in alignment an end abutment adjacent peripherally flanged metallic building panels. The device is highly specialized, being designed for use with steel Wall panel units covered in U. S. patent to Maury I. Diggs for Wall Panel, No. 2,412,253, granted November 6, 1946, and in the present illustrative embodiment of the invention it is shown in combination with such specific panel construction, but its principles of construction and functioning adapts it to use in other environments than that specifically disclosed.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a channel shaped resilient metal clip having a re-entrant dihedral apex which bears against the adjacently positioned panels at the joint line, for holding the panels in alignment, and lateral wings from the base of the dihedral apex, forming dihedral troughs which resiliently embrace the oppositely directed marginal flanges of the panels, the edges of said flanges seating in the apices of said troughs.

Another object of the invention is an arrangement of adjacent panels in alignment and end abutment involving the use of the clip as described, the panels together constituting the wall of a permanent form into which concrete or the like is poured, the latter material forming a monolithic core across the joint between the panels, embedding the clip and filling the interstices between the clip and panels, whereby the resiliency of the clip is inhibited and it becomes a permanent metallic reinforcement for the joint.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through adjacent portions of a pair of wall panels showing the clip of the present invention in operating position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the clip per se;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-section illustrating the mode of applying the securing clip.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral l represents as a whole, a wall panel unit having opposite side face panels 2 and 3 of sheet metal, congruently arranged, being bonded. together in spaced parallel relation by bonding pillars 4, there being a number of bonding pillars at spaced intervals between the complementary face panels of a unit, only one of which is shown. The nature of these bonding panels may be learned from the hereinbefore mentioned Diggs patent.

Both of the complementary face panels are identical, each having a peripheral end flange 5 perpendicular to the face of the panel, said peripheral flanges 5 having a perimetric inturned marginal flange 6, parallel to the face of the panel. The bonding pillars 4 are wider than the aggregate width of the peripheral end flanges 5, so that the panel units 1 are open all around.

When two of such identical panel units 1 are placed in end to end relation. as shown, their corresponding faces lie in a common plane with their ad acent end flanges 5 in abutment, and their adjacent marginal flanges 6 lying in the same plane, and being oppositely directed. Thus placed, said panel units constitute a permanent form which can be filled with concrete, forming when set. a monolithic core extending across the plane of the joint between adjacent panel units.

Since the panel units l and 2 are relatively li ht in weight before the concrete is poured, they may readily be inadvertently moved out of alignment, to prevent which t e securing clip of the subject invention is employed.

This clip comprises a resilient sheet metal channel member 1 of uniform cross-section throughout its length, longitudinally folded to form a re-entrant dihedral angle B, the apex of which extends down the midd e of the channel, said member I being out ardly folded on both sides at the base of t e dihedral angle 8, to form the dihedral angl s 9 and Ill, which function as reservoirs of resiliency, and being f rther outwardly folded along the outer base lines of the dihedral angles 9 and In to form the dihedral troughs II and I2, the apices of which troughs are in a common plane with the apex of the dihedral angle 8.

The flat faces l3, l4, l5, and I6 of the dihedral angles 8, 9 and ID are preferably of equal width, and the width of the space between the apices of the troughs H and I2 is less than the aggregate width of the marginal flanges 6, which the clip is designed to embrace, so that when tensioned by the interposition of said marginal flanges, the apices of the dihedral angles 9 and H3 will be positioned symmetrically with respect to the marginal flanges that they respectively embrace. This maintains the clip in balanced tension on both sides of the apex of the dihedral angle 8.

The length of the clip is immaterial to the invention. Preferably, a number of relatively short clips will be arranged in spaced positions along the length of a joint.

Referring to the specific panel unit construc- .tion shown in Figure 1, the faces of the panels I and 2 may, for example, be 3 inches apart, and the end flanges inch wide, leaving an open slot [1 all around the panel unit, which may be no more than 1 inches wide. This affords rather restricted access for the insertion of the securing clips. These may be successively applied at the same place near the top of the joint. Each may be inserted, as shown in Figure 3, the right hand dihedral trough I2, for example, being hooked about the edge of one of the marginal flanges 6, the clip bein in an inclined position with the opposite free edge I! resting against the opposite flange 6. Then the clip is pressed against the flanges 6, spreading the dihedral angles 6, 9 and ID to cause the free edge H to move along the flange 6, which it engages, until it slips over the edge of said flange. Resultant contraction of the dihedral angles 8, 9 and I seats the edge of the said flange 6 in the dihedral trough H, and the balanced tension of the dihedrals 9 and it) causes the apex of the dihedral angle 8 to assume a middle position, seated in the longitudinal groove I8 which delineates the joint.

When the first clip has been thus applied, it is pushed down by means of a stick to the bottom of the panel. The second clip is then applied in the same manner, and then pushed down to an intermediate position in the length of the joint. Finally, the last clip is applied and left in top position.

It may well happen that when adjacent panel units are set down upon a masonry foundation, there may be suflicient inequality in the supporting surface to cause the joint to gap or cause the top end of one unit to set out forwardly beyond the other. The transverse resiliency of the clip is suflicient to hold the flanges 6 together, while if one tended to move out of alignment with the other, it could only do so by riding against one of the divergent faces of the dihedral angle 8, causing lateral separation of the joint, which it cannot do against the resistance created by the resilient grip of the clip upon the ends of said flanges.

It is obvious that when the interior space of the juxtaposed panel units is filled with cement, this completely embeds the clips, nullifying their 4 resiliency and transforming them into rigid reinforcement ties across the joint.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the specific details of construction and arrangement of parts, as described, are by way of example and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim as m invention is:

In combination with a pair of juxtaposed aligned wall panels having abutting end flanges perpendicular to the plane of their faces, forming a joint, and marginal flanges extending oppositely from said end flanges in a common plane parallel to their face plane and forming a groove at their plane of separation, a securing clip comprising a resilient channel folded along equidistantly spaced longitudinal parallel lines, the sides of said'channel being folded to form oppositely facing dihedral troughs resiliently embracing said marginal flanges with the ends of said fianges seated in the apices of said troughs. the base of said channel being folded to form a medial re-entrant dihedral angle the apex of which rests in said groove, the adjacent sides of said troughs and said re-entrant angle intersecting along lines of fold defining outwardly directed dihedral angles intermediate said troughs and said re-entrant angle.

JOSEPH J. DUGAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,757,664 Gohmann May 6, 1930 1,881,760 Loucks Oct. 11, 1932 2,151,234 Rutten et al. Mar. 21, 1939 2,360,879 Kroier Oct. 24, 1944 2,412,253 Diggs Dec. 10, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 212,344 Great Britain l924 

